The Struggle between Social Classes

Rich miss marrying a sad boy or vice versathis is a very continual theme in love stories of altogether epochs. In the pullulate genre, this theme alike serves as a topic of stakes as it reveals the conflict amidst the amphetamine and the paltryer programes in club. In jackfruit Claytons (1959) film, Room at the Top, the theatre director shows how the campaign among the two degreees operates in the British society after the founding War II. Depicting a vile mans campaign as he tries to alter his place in society, the film attempts to mirror the reality that the poor will likely give in to the intention of the easy in position of economic compete.Analysis of the caseisation, plot, theme, and motifs used in the film provides viewing audience a better noesis of the two affable classes. Characterisation The get of the film strongly suggests re bring inations of the lower class. The master(prenominal) character, Joe Lampton (played by Laurence Harvey) is depict ed sitting comfortably on a train, with his feet raised on the opposite seat, frankincense sho put ong his m give the sacked socks. The entering alone shows the mans class standing, as he can non afford to get a new pair of socks, and resorts rather to wearing an old and tottered pair.This attitude of subsiding with the second best or either(prenominal) is available is reflected in his choice of women. Realising the barrier of having Susan cook as his little girl delinquent to the conflict in their friendly standing, Joe resorts to Alice Aisgill (played by Simone Signoret), his colleague, notwithstanding their big age difference. A number of juxtapositions ar presented in the film. For instance, in spite of Joes financial incapableness as symbolised by the socks, he wears the universal pelage and tie as he reports for manoeuver.Whilst the first denotes poverty, the an other(prenominal) suggests decency. Note that the coat and tie is customary in the British societ y especially in stock affairs. As much(prenominal), he and his colleagues wear the alike(p) type of clothing, which somehow levels arrive at their post with that of the rich. Nevertheless, this does not change Joes kind standing, and the way Susans family and friends view him. found on his position as an restrainer in Boroughs Treasurers Department, Joe is unquestionably educated.However, this does not necessarily service raise his genial positioning as one be coherenting to the fiting class. This implies that it is not enough for a person to generate education and a white-collared job in order to rise in the brotherly hierarchy. Rather, espousal to a rich girl such as Susan, the miss of a factory owner, could change ones fortune as proposed later in the film. Juxtaposition is likewise launch betwixt the characters. For instance, Joes character is presented in showdown with Susans suitor, who is influential and sociable.Joe, being a newcomer in the Dufton, seldom heartyises with his colleagues, and kind of relates closely with a few of them, including Alice, whom he falls in love with later. He is also seen in contrast with Susan, the girl who attracts him a lot. Their affable standing originally draws the line amongst them. Whilst Joe needs to work hard and establish connection with his colleagues, Susan does not need to work, and instead spends her time acting in topical anaesthetic theatre. Also, whilst Joe transfers to Dufton to obtain employment, Susan is fire to go on vacation as she pleases.Moreover, juxtaposition is also established between the two fe priapic characters, Alice and Susan. diversion from the womens ages and marital status, they also differ in accessible status, in that Alice is an average military position worker, whilst Susan is the miss of an owner of a factory. This social difference between the two results in a contend between them as Susan gets pregnant. Although Joe loves Alice more(prenominal), an d has planned to marry her, Mr. Browns (Susans father) trace convinces Joe to change his mind, thus making way for the materialistic to win over the prole.In addition, Alices fountain marriage to their colleague also cites less favourable, especially since her former husband would not mark to divorce. Considering this, the film does not only present struggles between social classes it also demonstrates struggles found on gender as the womens fate depends on Joes concluding decision. Further to the contrast between Alice and Susan, the former demonstrates more emancipation of will, as she does things she likes, ie, shifts career, separates from her husband, and establishes human traffichip with Joe.Her habit of cigarette smoking throughout the film shows Alices easy-going and independent character although it reflects her tensions in bread and butter at the kindred time. In contrast, Susan is pictured as a fresh and young girl, healthy-looking and innocent. Her social s tatus prevents her from associating with the lower class, such as Joe, provided it does not ultimately defeats her will to be independent. Plot The plot of the film supports the root of struggle between the social classes. It shows a single unified structure, with the conflict show near the end, as Joe settle downs to marry Susan due to the latters pregnant specification.His decision conflicts with his wish to marry Alice. Thus, when the latter finds out, she gets whole devastated, and drowns in her sorrow and alcohol, which later admits to her remnant by car accident. Earlier in the story, Susans parents discover to separate her from Joe by making her take a vacation. This demand demonstrates the struggle between social classes, in that the bourgeois discriminates the other, by preventing marriage between them. Later on, as Mr. Brown realises his daughters condition, he tries to subvert finish up Joe, and offers to make him rich if Joe does what he commands.Initially, J oe exercises his plume and rejects the offer, but realising that Alice cannot be married with him, and that breeding with Susan would make his life comfortable, he agrees to the trace and marries Susan. As such, the class struggle is evident. Mr. Brown uses his money and former to buy off Joe. For his part, Joe cannot disagree with Mr. Brown for he sees this fortune to trip out his current social status. world Susans husband, Joe does not need to work anymore, and all else will go smoothly because Susan is very wealthy.However, just as Joe attempts to escape his own social structure, he is obsessed by it, with the death of Alice. Along with the proposition of Mr. Brown to make Joe a rich man is the defeat of the proletarian class. As Joe accepts the offer, he disremembers Alices sacrifices and love for him. What is sadder approximately it is knowing how little time it takes Joe to decide closely leaving Alice. As shown in the film, everything happens over one dinner, too fiddling a time to change plans or think things over thus implying the power of money to further establish social injustice and discrimination, and in turn disuse social equality.Theme The main theme of the film, which is the struggle between social structures, relates to Marxist perspectives. Specifically, the presence of the two opposing structures, the bourgeois (as presented by Susan and her family) and the proletarian (Joe, Alice, and the other employees) implies the conflict in the film. As Marx & Engels (1848) claim, there is a social struggle that exists between the bourgeois or the middle class, that sprouted from the ruins of feudal society, and established new classes, new conditions of oppression, new forms of struggle in place of the old ones. In the film, as Mr. Brown gives Joe the marriage proposal, he implies designing Joes entire lifehis marriage and career, in order to make sure it fits the structure that Susan is born with. such(prenominal) plan illustrates a ne w condition of oppression, a new form of struggle for the proletarian. Physical attraction is what leads to the theme of social struggle. Everything parts as Joe becomes attracted to Susan and vice versa. Indeed, the two social classes would not conflict with separately other if not for Joes feelings for Susan.In this consideration, one may see that the endeavour to reach or blend with another social class may result in a much worse conflict between them. However, such conflict could later lead to permanently changing social relations within the system (Strasser and Randall, 1981, p. 44). Thus, Susans motherliness leads to the development of new patterns of social relations, between him and the Browns. Suddenly, Susans parents accept Joe as their daughters husband, owing to the reputation that they try to maintain in society.Motifs As mentioned above, the proletarian or running(a) class is given focus in the film. Clayton uses hardheaded consideration and motifs to depict t he lives of the functional class of the 50s. Amongst these implicate the dark, small sign of the zodiacs where Alice and Joe spend their love affair, the male boarding house where Joe resides with her friend Soames, the local train which characterises the transportation means of the green mountain, and Joes seemingly abandoned house where he brings Susan the night they elope.The use of realistic setting thus emphasises the life lived by the proletarians. Juxtaposition is likewise applied to the setting. When Joe visits Susan, he is amazed by the huge house, which consists of the long halls, partitioned rooms, and the big lawn. Servants are available any moment they are needed. This is in teeming contrast with Alices place, which is dark and small. Aside from setting, the behaviour of the characters likewise mimics the ways of the working class.For instance, cigarette smoking is used vehemently throughout the film, giving impression of the start of the new wave era (Wickham, n. d. ), although such practices may be deemed destructive of the figure of the working class. Likewise, the affair between workers disrespect being committed is also hinted on, which reveals the low regard for morality of the said social class. Furthermore, the Alices fate at the end also reveals the proletarians leave out of strength to face reality, the tendency to be alcoholic, and the low self-esteem amongst them.In contrast, the ways of the bourgeois are seen in better light. They are dressed neatly on each occasion specifically, Susans mother shows moderateness by the way she be invites and carries herself even whilst at home, whilst Susan shows coyness towards Joe. However, the proletarians are pictured with more social dynamics than their counterpart. This is seen as Soemes introduces Joe to their spatial relationmates. Everyone, despite their positions in the company, welcomes Joe with glee, whilst Susans suitor intimidates him.During the troupe where Joe and Susan mee t again, the guests seated with the Browns look at Joe with contempt, after finding out that he does not belong to their social circle. In sum, whilst the proletarians are depicted as direct and weak, the bourgeois are seen as pungent and vile. The monotonous music that the director employs does not entirely affect the whole of the film, merely it helps highlight important strokes such as the introduction, the falling in love and open up between Joe and Alice, the news about Alices death, the wedding, etc.Likewise, the actors costumes, which are limited to office and home settings, depict the simplicity of the people in the 50s. The directors effort to make everything look realistic, from the setting, the costumes, the love scenes, the dialogues to the props, allows the viewers to see the film in a realistic perspective. Moreover, the plot structure, which shows the dilemma of a man in choosing between the char charr he loves but cannot possess and the woman who merely attract s her but is prepared to be his wife, adds to the realism of the film.The only element that seems inappropriate yet not impossible is the time when Joe encounters the mob just before his wedding. This scene is irrelevant to the plot, but may have been added to achieve catharsis. Since Joe is the cause of Alices inadvertent death, he is made to pay for what he does before he marries Susan. Despite the irrelevancy of the mob scene to the plot, it nevertheless presents other aspects of the proletarians.As depicted in the film, the men that outfox Joe are not scavengers rather, they are working men, considering the way they are dressed up. base on this scene, the proletarians in the British society are pictured as unpitying just like the bourgeois who would buy off peoples freedom in order to make their daughter happy. As Joe decides to leave Alice for Susan, the film at a time again shows that in the face of struggle between the two classes, it is usually those in the upper class that emerge as the winner, leaving behind the poor at the losing end.References Marx, K. & Engels, F. (1848) The manifesto, Available at Accessed on twenty-third July 2009. Room at the Top (1959) direct by Jack Clayton, London, British social lion Films videoDVD. Strasser, H. & Randall, S. (1981) An introduction to theories of social change. London, Routledge. Wickham, P. (N. d. ). Room at the Top (1958). Available at Accessed on 23rd July 2009.